Electric timing relay



23, 1941. 4 BY' I 2,266,804

ELECTRIC TiMING RELAY ori inal Filed Jan. 25,1937 2 Sheets-Sheet} INVENTOR HdyZ /i R0 F. H. ROBY ELECTRIC TIMING RELAY Original Filed JanY 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Skeet 2 IN VENTOR 7740/? /7.

F0 B ATTORNEY memo TIMING RELAY Frank H. Roby, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Square 1) Company, Detroit, Mich a corporation at Michigan Original application January 25, 1937, Serial No.

122,173, now Patent No. 2,124,795, dated July Divided and this application August 24, 1931, Serial No. 160,637

8 Claims v(o1. zoo-9'1) This invention relates to a timing relay or "switch including a'plurality of contacts adapted to be operated in sequence in a definite timed relation and constitutes a division oi application Serial No. 122,173, filed January 25, 1937.

. One Object of the invention is to provide an improved timing relay having a plurality of normally open and normally closed contacts adapted to be operated in sequence by a movable member in which means is :provided for controlling the speed of movement of the member.

'Another object oi. the invention is an electric timing relay having a plurality oi normally open and normally closed contacts adapted to be operated in sequence by a reciprocable member in which the speed of movement 01' the member in its opposite directions is independently controllable.

Another object oi the invention is to'provide an electric timing relay having successively operable contacts with a pair or separately adjustable timingelements operated to control the time justable to vary their. relative operated time in the cycle. I

Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following specification and appended drawings illustratingcertain preferred embodiments of the invention in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a timing stationary and movable-contact arrangement of a slightly modified form using additional 0on tacts.

line V-V of Figure 4.

The timing relay according tothe present in-' vention is supported upon a back plate or mount- Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the ing panel i and includes generallya stationary contact supporting block 2, a reciprocable rod 3 for operating the movable contacts, an electromagnetic operating means generally indicated at l, a timing device generally indicated at I for timing the downward movement of the rod 3 and a timing device generally indicated at I for controlling the upward movement ot the rod 3. The

electromagnetic operator 4 and timing device 8 are mounted together and comprise a magnetic circuit formed by a pair of U-shaped members 1 and I within which is disposed an energizing coil [surrounding a solenoid core ii. A button I! is mounted on the member 8 to cooperate with the core in its attracted-position, the comof operation of the contacts in both directions,

and in which the contacts are independently adplete magnetic path being formed between memhers I and I, button i! and core ii. The core H is hollow and slid'ably receives a rod it which applies the operating force to the relay. A compression spring I4 is disposed within the core H about the rod i3 and presses against a flange I5 rigid with the rod- I3 and against a closing nut ll threaded into the core I 1.

Upon the upwardly extending leg of the member l is disposed the timing element 5 comprised of a central dividing portion ll having therein an adjustable bleeding valve I8 and a check valve It. The dividing portion I1 is of general double cup shape and to its bottom portion a flexible diaphragm 2| is sealably connected as by means of a rigid metallic member 22. A nut 23 is secured to the diaphragm II by being riveted through opposite disc washers as shown. The rod I3 is threaded into the nut 23 and is maintained in place by a locking nut 24. A flexible diaphragm 25 is connected to the upper edge 01' the double cup member IT by means of. a rigid shielding member 18 having .a relatively large opening ll leading to the external air. The valve It includes the cylindrical chamber as shown in which is disposed the pin 28 having a small taper relative to the chamber diameter. The pin 28 is threaded into the member l1 for I longitudinal adjustment and is provided with ,gear teeth at its exterior ,portion 2! meshing with a large indicating gear wheel ii. A split connected therein by the bolts 35.

The time delay device 8 is of identical construction with the time delay device I and is supported upon the plate I by means 0! posts It. The flexible operating diaphragm or this timing device which corresponds to the diaphragm 2i oi the timing device 3 is secured to the lower end of the rod It by means of a mechanical connector 31 similar to the connector II. The timing device I is identical in construction to the timing device '5 but is disposed in reverse direction so that the check valve therein operates to quickly I relieve the fluid within the chamber with which the working diaphragm cooperates when the rod 34 moves in a downward-direction and the bleeding valve in the timing device 6 is similar to the bleeding valve I 8 in the timing device 5 and operates to time the upward movement of the 5 rod 34. As the timing device 8 is identical in ENT OFFICE I 7 are a pair of sleeve stops and 43 respectively engageable with a pair of movable contacts 46 and 45. The contacts 54 and 45 are biased to their maximum separated assesseuntil it reaches its extreme position of travel or until the coil 9 is deenergized. Upon deenerposition against the stops 42 and 3 by a compression spring 46 disposed therebetween and about the rod 34. Rigid with the sleeve 22 is a striker- 41 engageable with an additional pair of cooperating contacts in the operation of the relay. The contacts cooperating with the bridgingtcontact plates do and 65 are identical and are comprised by posts 68 rigidly mounted upon the block 2 and provided with front terminal screws 49. The stationary contacts 5| are provided with threaded supporting stems 52 threaded into the posts 63$ for adjustmentand maintained in adjusted position bylocking nuts 53. Also mounted on the supporting block 2 is an additional set of cooperating stationary and movable contacts embodied by the spaced stationary contacts 543 rigidly secured to the block and provided with front terminal screws 55. A pair of guiding brackets 5i? and 5d are rigidly disposed on the block 2 and slidably receive rod 51 upon which is disposed a movable bridging contact plate 58 adapted to cooperate with the stationary contacts Ed. A compression spring 59 about the, rod 57. and between the contact plate 58 and the bracket 56 biases the contact plate 58 into engaged position;

' The rod 51 extends downwardly below the stationary contacts 58 into a position to be engaged by the striker d? on the rod 35 to move the contact plate 58 to its separated position.

Theoperation of the relay will now be described. Energization of the operating coil 9 will cause upward movement of the core it compressing the spring id and applying a bias by means of the spring tending to move the rod 93 and the gization of the coil 3 the core I l willtend to move downwardly under the action ofgravitmthus relievlng the force holding the rod 34 in its upward direction. The rod 34 will then start to move downwardly under the action of gravity as as-= sisted' by the spring 39 and this movement will be timed by the upper timing device 5 through the bleeding valve l8. As it moves downwardly the contact operation is the reverse or that previously described, the striker 41 first leaving the rod 51 and permitting the bridging contact 58 to bridge the contacts 54, then operating "the contact M by the engagement of sleeve e2 therewith and lastly engaging the bridging contact 55 with its cooperating stationary contacts.

Adjustment of the valve pin as for the timing 'device 5 will control the speed of movement of the rod 3% inits downward direction. In this downward movement of the rod 36 the checkvalve in the timing device 8 operates so that this timing device exertsno resistance to the downward movement of the rod. Similarly, in the upward movement of the rod the check valve 66 operates to place the timing control solely on the lower timing device 6. By means of the timing contact operating rod 3% in an'upward direction.

- This upward movement of the rod Sit is timed by means of the timing device indicated ail-6 and adjustment of its valve pin will determine the period or speed of movement of the rod. In this movement of the rod the sequence of operation of the cooperating sets of contacts will, of course, be determined by the adjustment or position oi the stationary contacts and any desired sequence of operation can be secured by this adjustment. As herein illustrated the contacts have been set to operate in a sequence in accordance with their vertical spacing and here the upward movement of the rod 3% would first engage the sleeve as with the bridging contact is and moveit upwardly to separate it from the spaced stationary contacts El with which it cooperates. Continued upward movementof the rod 3 5 will move the.

devices 5 and 5 the upward and downward movements of the rod 3% may be independently adjusted to any desired times. The adjustable mounting of the stationary contacts permits their position to be varied so that the time of engagement or disengagement may be separately varied and by this means any desired timing control arrangement may be secured since the cycle timing may be adjusted in both directions and the relative time of operation of'the contacts in any cycle or the time spacing between the sets may be independently varied.

The relay accordingto the present invention is susceptible to a wide variety of uses and may be wired up in any manner to secure timing control of any system arrangement. In the parent application, of which this is a division, a welder control system employing the relay herein described has been specifically described and claimed.

The modification illustrated in Figure 4 is identical with that previously described with the exception of an additional set of contacts. In this modification an additional pair of sleeve stops Bi and 62' are disposed on the rod 8 3 and an additional bridging contact as is provided cooperating with the sleeve Bi. spring 66 is disposed about the rod 8 3 and between the bridging contact plate 63 and the sleeve s2. An additional pair of stationary contacts indicated at 65 and mounted in the identical manner as thecontacts 58 previously described are provided to cooperate with the bridging plate 53. This arrangement illustrates how the timing relay according to the present invention may be modified to include any desired number of con tacts in any desired contact arrangement. In this arrangement of the relay the upward movement of the rod '34 will first disengage contact plate 45 and then engage contact plate QB, then- A compression While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically disclosed, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest interpretation within the terms of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A time delay relay comprising a vertically reciprocable member, electromagnetic means for controllably applying an upward biasing force .on said member, vertically spaced sets of spaced stationary contacts, bridging contact elements adapted to be separately operated by said member into and out of engagement with their cooperating sets of stationary contacts, an adjustable fluid dash pot controllably delaying the movement of said member in the upward direction, and a separately adjustable fluid dash pot controllably delaying the return mcTfiYri'nt of said member in the downward direction, at least certain of said stationary contacts being vertically adjustable to vary the spacing between sets and the timing period between successive contact operations.

2. A time delay relay comprising a plurality of sets of normally open and normally closed electrical contacts, means movable in one direction to operate said contacts in sequence to efiect movement of the normally open contacts to closed position'and the normally closed contacts 'to open position, electromagnetic means for effecting movement of said first mentioned meansin said one direction when energized, time delay means controlling the speed of movement of said first mentioned means in said, one direction,

moving said member in the opposite direction when said electromagnetic means is deenergized, a plurality of independent sets of electrical contacts adapted to be sequentially operated by said member in its movement in each direction, and time delay means controlling the speed 01' movement of said member in each direction and independently adjustable to independently control the speed of movement in each direction.

5. A time delay relay comprising a member movable in opposite directions, means constantly biasing said member for movement in one direction, electromagnetic means for controllably applying a stronger biasing force in the opposite direction when energized, a plurality of independent sets of electrical contacts adapted to be sequentially operated by said member in its movement in each direction, and time delay means for controlling the speed of movement of said member in each direction and adjustable to independently vary the speed of movement in each direction.

6. A time delay relay comprising a plurality of stationary contacts, a plurality of movable contacts adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with said stationary contacts, a movable member for eifecting sequential operation of the movable contacts, electromagnetic means for moving said member in one direction when energized, means for effecting the return movement of said member when the electromagnetic means is deenergized, adjustable time delay means providing for delayed movement of said member in means returning said first mentioned means to its initial position when said electromagnetic means is deenergized, said return movement effecting the sequential operation of the sets of contacts to their normal positions, time delay means for controlling the speed of said return movement, said time delay means being independently adjustable so as to efiect independent control of the speeds of movement of said first mentioned means in said one direction and in the return direction.

3. A time delay relay comprising a plurality of vertically spaced sets of horizontally spaced stationary contacts, a vertically reciprocable member normally biased to its downward position, a plurality of bridging contact elements carried by said reciprocable member, certain of said contact elements being in engagement with their cooperating stationary contacts and others being out of engagement with their cooperating stapendently adjustable time delay means for controlling the speed oi downward movement of the member in which the bridging contacts are sequentially operated into their original cooperating positions.

4. A time delay relay comprising'a member rectilinearly movable in opposite directions, electromagnetic means for moving said member in said one direction and a second adjustable time delay means providing for delayed movement of said member in the return direction whereby the speed of movement of said member in its opposite directions may be independently varied.

7. A time delay relay comprising a plurality of stationary contacts, a plurality of movable contacts adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with said stationary contacts, a movable member for effecting sequential operation of the movable contacts, electromagnetic means for moving said member in one direction when-energized, means for effecting the return movement of said member when the electromagnetic means is deenergized, adjustable time delay means providing for delayed movement of said member in said one direction and a second adjustable time delay means providing for delayed movement of said member in the return direction whereby the speed of movement of said member in its opposite directions may be independently varied, said stationary contacts being adjustably mounted to provide for variation between successive contact operations.

8. A time delay relay comprising a reciprocable rod, a fluid dash pot delay means at each end of said rod, each of said dash pots being eflective to controllably delay the speed of movement of said rod in one direction whereby the speed of the movement thereof, a plurality of spaced stationary contacts mounted to be engaged and disengaged by said movable contacts in a predetermined sequence during the movement 0! said rod, and means for adjustably mounting said stationary contacts to vary the period between successive contact operations.

one direction when energized, biasing means for 76 FRANK H. ROBY. 

